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N8 impresses in Camp, jeff out 2 months, chemistry improves

Get a Taste of the NBA Draft for Yourself
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Oct. 4 (AP) -- Even though Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni isn't ready to determine his rotation, he liked what he saw from Nate Robinson during New York's first week of practice.

"I'm really surprised with him and how good he is,'' D'Antoni said of the 5-foot-9 guard after the team broke training camp at Skidmore College on Saturday. "He can play a lot of systems, but I do think that the way we want to play an open court, that will benefit him as much or more than anybody.

"He's just - he is athletic as can be. He's scary athletic, and fast.''

The Knicks spent five days getting used to their new coach's fast-paced system and trained for the first time at the Saratoga Springs college.

"We still got a lot of work to do. We don't have to be ready tomorrow,'' D'Antoni said. "We've got to be ready on Oct. 29.''

That's when New York opens its season at home against the Miami Heat. Their first preseason game is Wednesday at Toronto.

D'Antoni was also impressed by Mardy Collins, another guard.

"I really didn't think of him, because we had so many guys, but he played really well,'' the coach said.

He will determine his core eight or nine players after a few weeks when "everybody will be in shape and we'll be able to assess a little bit better.''

For his part, Robinson liked what he saw from his teammates.

"Guys are closer, playing harder, playing together, learning coach's style of play,'' he said. "Every guy came in ready to play and ready to learn, and I think that goes a long way.''

New York left Saratoga Springs with Jared Jeffries sidelined up to two months with a left leg fracture he injured during practice Thursday. Also, Eddy Curry didn't practice all week because of a bacterial infection that initially landed him in Saratoga Hospital.

"It's always tough when you're missing some of your key guys,'' Quentin Richardson said. "But I think with them missing, it gave other guys a chance to play a little bit more and to practice a little more.''

Jerome James suffered a slight strain in his left quadriceps Saturday, and sat the final 15 minutes of the team's last scrimmage.

"We've got a lot of things to still do, a lot of things to go, and then we'll see on the 29th that I'm sure there will still be a lot of learning to do,'' D'Antoni said. "But the first three or four months it's going to be, we're going to have to grind it out and learn how to play and just make sure we're making progress.

D'Antoni praised the facilities at Skidmore and would welcome a return next year, though no decision has yet been made

Like I said, take away Marbury & Crawford off the Knick roster and give their playingtime to Nate & Collins with a decent scoring SG that could defend and score from the peremeter, and the Knicks would have a decent Backcourt Trio that will be a threat as Starters & Finishers.
They might not be All-Stars, but the oposing team scouting-reports on Nate & Collins will be a big blank, because of their many talents in changing as combo-guards in the NBA.

Like I said, take away Marbury & Crawford off the Knick roster and give their playingtime to Nate & Collins with a decent scoring SG that could defend and score from the peremeter, and the Knicks would have a decent Backcourt Trio that will be a threat as Starters & Finishers.
They might not be All-Stars, but the oposing team scouting-reports on Nate & Collins will be a big blank, because of their many talents in changing as combo-guards in the NBA.

Come on Kiya. Collins shot 36% in the summer league! No way he takes Crawfords minutes. And he can't shoot a lick. He can only drive good to the basket. That's his offense. Marbury can give you 16 ppg and 5 assists easy. And Crawford can trhive in this system averging 18 ppg.

Come on Kiya. Collins shot 36% in the summer league! No way he takes Crawfords minutes. And he can't shoot a lick. He can only drive good to the basket. That's his offense. Marbury can give you 16 ppg and 5 assists easy. And Crawford can trhive in this system averging 18 ppg.

Did you even read his post? He never said Mardy could shoot. He said put them in WITH a decent shooting guard.

You're blinded by hate and just jump to assumptions constantly.

Everyone always forgets that Mardy was flirting with triple doubles every other night when he was actually playing his rookie season.

lmao hahahaha
flirting with tripple doubles????
he tried to holla at a tripple in one game
i wouldnt call it flirting

12 points, eight boards, 11 assists, two threes and three steals

21 points, nine rebounds, five assists

19 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and five steals.

That is 3 straight games.

Collins has averaged 15.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists and flirted with a triple-double three times.

That is from the Times talking about his playing at the end of the season his rookie year.

“Mardy continues to amaze me,” Thomas said Monday night. “After every game, you look at the stat sheet and you’re like, ‘Wow.’ As the game is going on, you don’t realize he’s having that good a game until at the end, you look at it and the guy’s getting close to a triple-double every night. It’s pretty impressive.”

Did you even read his post? He never said Mardy could shoot. He said put them in WITH a decent shooting guard.

You're blinded by hate and just jump to assumptions constantly.

Everyone always forgets that Mardy was flirting with triple doubles every other night when he was actually playing his rookie season.

HAHAHA so you would bench Marbury and Crawford for Nate Robinson and a D league player barely making this team????

Hate??? Not hate. Mardy just sucks. For a 6'6 guard he is a poor player. With all the guards we have, including Houston who can't miss a shot, Without injuries, Mardy will barely get playing time. And you want to replace him with Marbury or Crawford....OKAY!

my only problem was him saying "i didnt know he (mardy) was that good" or whatever

why pick up roberson and duhon to jam up the backcourt if he's now confident in mardy? just a little bit of a poor move imo, but its the only one i really disagree with from the "new regime" so..ill let it slide and see how it pans out..

you take away marbury and we wont win 30 games this year. Sadly, Crawford is a better shooter the Mardy collins. Mardy cant shoot at all, crawford can shoot occasionally. If i had to chose who i would rather have take 15 shots in a game, i would chose crawford over collins and then cry about the terrible options i was given.

Mardy Collins has potential, hes gotta stay healthy and in shape. Thats what ****ed him up all last year, but i like his defense and his passing. Hes gotta work on that jumper too....should be shooting 1000 jumpshots a day.

That is from the Times talking about his playing at the end of the season his rookie year.

and what are his stats 3 games b4, and 3 games after?
what was his minutes? who did we play?
mardy sucks....all our guards are better than him, even h20 he might b better than roberson, but houstin said he is a straight shooter....neve rkno
mardy collins sux

HAHAHA so you would bench Marbury and Crawford for Nate Robinson and a D league player barely making this team????

Hate??? Not hate. Mardy just sucks. For a 6'6 guard he is a poor player. With all the guards we have, including Houston who can't miss a shot, Without injuries, Mardy will barely get playing time. And you want to replace him with Marbury or Crawford....OKAY!

Good luck.

You're an idiot. Where did I say we should replace them? Oh wait, I never did. I was just defending Kiya from your idiotic attack based on you inability to read and comprehend. Honestly, I think D will be running a 3 guard offense of Marbury, Crawford, AND Duhon.

Its a 3 guard lineup. Then you have Zach and Lee at F. No real Center, its a small team. Then you can interchange our SFs at either spot and it won't make a difference. This is what he is looking at doing from the things I've been reading.

Come on Kiya. Collins shot 36% in the summer league! No way he takes Crawfords minutes. And he can't shoot a lick. He can only drive good to the basket. That's his offense. Marbury can give you 16 ppg and 5 assists easy. And Crawford can trhive in this system averging 18 ppg.

Paul, slow down! you are moving to fast and is liable to catch a speeding ticket. Boasting about scoring.
Are you actually defending Marbury & Crawford decision-making in 40 or more mpg in the last 4 seasons?

Any coach could see that Nate & Collins decision making and passing-skillz are a hundred times wiser than Marbury & Crawford.